Ahmedabad: HIV-positive serve food, awareness at India eatery

[Guest guest]

HIV-positive serve food, awareness at India eatery

Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:55AM EDT

By Rupam Jain Nair

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters Life!) - A group of HIV-positive Indians

have opened a restaurant, hoping to win over hearts with good food

and raise awareness about AIDS.

Activists say widespread stigma and discrimination have contributed

to paranoia about the disease in India, which has the world's largest

number of people living with HIV.

Children found carrying the virus have been being expelled from

schools and patients denied treatment in hospitals.

At Adhar restaurant in the western city of Ahmedabad, which opened

about a fortnight ago, HIV-infected staff cook and serve the food and

cater for parties at other locations as well.

The fare is vegetarian, with a variety of curries, lentils, rice and

Indian bread being the staple.

In the beginning, guests got angry and threw away their food when

told that it had been prepared and served by HIV-positive people. But

business is gradually picking up with health workers and volunteers

encouraging Indians to visit the eatery.

" If a good meal is a way to reach a man's heart then we surely will, "

said Varsha Vala, the eatery's 30-year-old chef.

The 60-seater restaurant is owned and managed by a network of about

700 HIV-positive people, who take turns to cook, serve or wait on

tables.

" Once people enjoy the food, the myths and misconceptions attached to

HIV/AIDS will be erased from their minds forever, " said S. Bala, a

member of the network in Gujarat state, of which Ahmedabad is the

main commercial city

Adhar serves free meals to HIV-positive people and holds pottery

classes, textile-design workshops and cookery contests for infected

people, some of whom lost their jobs when their HIV status was

revealed.

" Ignorance about AIDS should be burnt and forgotten with our

cooking, " said R. Dabhi, another network member.

There are 5.7 million people thought to be infected in India,

although findings of a new population-based national survey have

indicated that the actual figure could be lower.

Gujarat is not a high prevalence state, but India's National AIDS

Control Organisation says there has been a rise in the number of

cases from the region, which has a large population of migrant

laborers.

Migrant workers are known to contract HIV from prostitutes and then

pass it on to their wives when they return home.

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSDEL1828720070613?

pageNumber=2

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

Re: /message/7397

Ms.Rupam Jain Nair needs to be thanked for sharing this useful initiative of the

ABADNP+(the Ahmedabad chapter of the state wide netwok of the PLHIV-GSNP+ in the

state of Gujarat).

The news was widely covered in yesterday's Indian Express,Ahmedabad and Vadodara

edition also and details may be obtained by those who would wish to extend

support to the restaurant started in Bapunagar, Ahmedabad or wish to initiate

similar initiative and enterprise in other areas.

We have talked to the Head,UNICEF,Gujarat who has agreed to utilize the catering

services for the meetings of UNICEF and its partners.

The GSACS and PSU-GSACS with more than 120 NGO partners have already started

working on it.

We feel that such a venture will go a long way in reduction of stigma and

discrimination against the PLHIV besides extending financial and psycho-social

support to the PLWHA.

I have a request to all not to use words like 'prostitute's any of our

communication.

It has different connotations and may have adverse consequences on the

endeavours for the containment of dual epidemics. It may also strengthen the

myth that most of the women infected by HIV are commercial sex workers whereas

the reality is that the majority of

the women infected by HIV are housewives in monogamous relationship with their

spouses.

Best wishes,

Dr. Rajesh Gopal, MD

Joint Director,

Gujarat State AIDS Control Society (GSACS),

O/1 Block, New Mental Hospital Complex,

Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. PIN 380016

Phone (O) 079-22680211--12--13,22685210 Fax 079-22680214

e-mail: <dr_rajeshg@...>